


the course of luck (never runs smoothly)

by walshisaweedbrain



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: F/F, au zombies, but bear with me, probably ooc scylla, she's always our sassy nugget
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walshisaweedbrain/pseuds/walshisaweedbrain
Summary: The sun shone on blonde bright hair and blue-icy irises glinted, Scylla took a breath of relief. Of course she had no idea who this person was and therefore could not be trusted, but she had just saved her life — so maybe it was worth a try and be polite.“Thank you.” Scylla breathed out gratefully.The blonde girl smirked at her as if she hadn’t just slashed her way through a small horde of walkers, “Always ready when I need to lay a hand… especially if a pretty girl is involved.”Scylla snorted.Great, she just got saved by the last flirter on Earth, her usual luck.“I’d like a dinner before I can even consider letting you put a hand on me.”
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 32
Kudos: 170





	1. the course of luck (never runs smoothly)

**Author's Note:**

> Wassup people, it's me again, ignoring my social life and devoting my time to some raylla content. My real life friends must wonder where the heck I am by now, but oh well, let's get straight to business. 
> 
> I wrote this one-shot for the raylla samhain week on the theme of night creatures, I am afraid I am past the date though, but I hope you'll forgive me. 
> 
> A few things to be considered in this one-shot: 
> 
> There will be the presence of zombies and some gore and blood (not too much, but just to let you know in case you're sensitive about it) as well as some stronger language (if cursing is not really your thing, watch out for that I guess) 
> 
> Scylla might be a bit ooc because the situation was quite different from the one we know in canon MFS.
> 
> This was kinda written and edited very fastly, I proofread it but if you find mistakes they're all mine and I promise I will give it another look to fix anything that might not work well. Hopefully there's nothing major tho.
> 
> As usual, I don't own the show or the characters and this is just fiction to have fun, none of this is meant to offend anyone. 
> 
> I hope you'll like it and I'll catch you at the end of the story.

She must’ve been dropped into a nightmare. 

Really, there was no other explanation of why all the worst things in the universe kept happening to her. 

In retrospect, Scylla thought that maybe she should’ve been nicer, played her cards better, no matter how revolting the thought of sticking with that group of survivors was. 

But that was the point, she had to admit that there was a certain safety and strength in numbers, especially when the rest of the fucking world was trying to eat her alive. 

_Quite literally._

It was not like she hadn’t tried. She could be nice, play the charmer and even get along with a good deal of bad stuff — _hey, it was what it was_ — but stick around with the group that had actively left children and families to die? Fed them to those disgusting creatures?

Scylla couldn’t shake away the sickening noises and screams while the fire engulfed the barracks that provided her shelter for months. She couldn’t help but think about the death of her parents as well. 

Her stomach dropped but there was no time to dwell on the past. Not when she was cuffed to a bloody lamp pole and seriously — who the fuck still kept handcuffs in the apocalypse? 

_Focus Scylla, get your shit together._

The group had simply decided that they could do without her, but instead of just leaving her outside the gate or dropping her ass in the middle of nowhere, Porter had suggested leaving her chained there so she wouldn’t be able to find her way back or harm anyone else. 

As if she truly wished to harm others - _go figure_.

Scylla wanted to scoff, boy couldn’t handle rejection even if it hit him on the face — which coincidentally was exactly what she had done. But fuck him and his stupid influence over the leader of the camp, or group or whatever the fuck they were. 

Scylla pulled at the handcuffs uselessly, like she had done for the past hour, the metal painfully digging more inside the skin of her wrists, bruising and slashing. She felt warm blood seeping out of her wound, running down her forearm and cursed under her breath — _Goddamn it!_

She had enough. 

Enough of that stupid predicament and enough of that damn apocalypse and one step closer at giving zero fucks about her life anymore. 

A bitter chuckle bubbled in her throat. 

What a liar she was. People didn’t get tired of surviving, they just pushed forward until they were barely skin and bone, until there was no space to feel anything more human. Only the primal instinct of survival. 

And she was tired of it. 

But apparently the universe had a twisted sense of humor, because as soon as she decided to slump against the pole and resign to her faith — _at least until a good plan came to her_ — Scylla heard the shuffling of walkers approaching. 

_Oh no._

It must’ve been all the rattling and clanking noises that she had made banging the cuffs against the pole. 

That or she was a fancy snack even for the dead — maybe she was, no point in being modest given the situation, but that was not how she wanted to die. 

At least if she could choose an option. 

The walkers moved slowly but surely in her direction and Scylla quickly scanned her surroundings, hoping to see a weapon or anything that she could use as a weapon. Before reminding herself that she was still chained to the goddamn pole — _fucking Porter_ , she hoped the walkers were eating his brain out in that exact moment. 

She turned around helplessly, standing on her feet and ready to kick the first walker. 

Even if she could get some hand to hand combat, Scylla knew she wouldn’t have much luck. The walkers were just too many and by the time she could get rid of a few, others would already be piling up, eager to reach and eat her. 

There was one last attempt she could do and she tried, dragging and pulling at the handcuffs with all her might, teeth sinking onto her lower lip to muffle her groans of pain — _God, it hurt like a motherfucker._

The metal dug even further inside the tender wrist, slicing the skin and drawing more blood but without giving in.

_Fan-fucking-tastic._

With the walkers approaching even closer, Scylla felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She wouldn’t go down without a fight, she never did, but oh god she was going down nonetheless. There was simply no way for her to make it out alive through that small horde while she was chained to a lamp pole. 

Porter had searched her before trapping her there, a vicious smile when he had pulled away the few knives Scylla kept in her belt for self-defense against those _things._

The look that Scylla had given him was of pure hatred, but that hadn't stopped the stupid dickhead from getting handsy with her — if she head-butted him and cracked his nose in the process, well he had it coming. 

But the knives, those would’ve been quite useful.

She eyed the closest couple of walkers, a few feet away from her, and waited for the best moment. 

_ Not yet.  _

_ Not quite.  _

_ Almost.  _

_ NOW. _

Scylla sprung in action, swinging the strongest kick she could muster. It sent the walker stumbling back and carrying down other two in the process. 

Not much progress against a whole bunch of them, but she would take it. 

_One at the time_ — she repeated herself — _you got this._

And no, she totally didn’t, but a boost of courage could go a long way when shit hit the fan, right? 

Scylla kicked another walker as far away as possible, the fucker slamming his head hard against the concrete and there was a sickening crunch of skull bones getting broken. 

_Gross, but so far so good._

She managed to strain against the cuffs enough to elbow a walker that was coming from her right side and then head-butted another one grasping her jacket from behind. 

She really needed to start being careful with that move, as much as it was a badass signature, getting a concussion in the middle of the damn apocalypse was not the best way to get out of it alive. 

Talking about staying alive, Scylla tried to regain her breath and quickly scanned her surroundings. 

Still too many, still coming at her and soon she would be circled by them without a way out. 

She tried not to think about how it would feel like to being munched on by a bunch of disgusting zombies, but jesus christ it was not like she had many other options on the table. 

Ready for round two, Scylla took a deep breath and- 

Suddenly something moved amongst those walkers. Something definitely more alive. 

Not something — _someone_. 

Scylla widened her eyes when the walker closest to her got speared through the skull and fell forward, making her jump to avoid the rotten flesh. 

The sun shone on blonde bright hair and blue-icy irises glinted, Scylla took a breath of relief.  Of course she had no idea who this person was and therefore could not be trusted, but she had just saved her life — so maybe it was worth a try and be polite. 

“Thank you.” Scylla breathed out gratefully. 

The blonde girl smirked at her as if she hadn’t just slashed her way through half a horde of walkers, “Always ready when I need to lay a hand… especially if a pretty girl is involved.” 

Scylla snorted. 

Great, she just got saved by the last flirter on Earth, her usual luck. 

“I’d like a dinner before I can even consider letting you put a hand on me.”

The blonde blew a stray lock of hair off her face and gave a shrug, smirk still firm on her lips. 

“How about I get you out of those handcuffs first? I’m sure we won’t need a reservation anyway around here.” the stranger gestured to the decaying buildings around them.

Scylla was about to nod eagerly when a voice boomed from behind the blonde. 

“Collar, what the fuck are you doing? Come on, we can’t stay here for long! We don’t know if there are other walkers nearby.”

The stranger — _Collar? What kind of name was that?_ — rolled her eyes and spun around to face her friend.

“Relax, Abigail, I’m just helping out a damsel in distress.”

“Oh fuck off! I was doing just fine, and anyway I’d like to see you in the same situation.” Scylla spat out annoyed, catching the glimpse of a pleased smile on the other brunette that stood proud and tall. 

The blonde didn’t seem put off by her choice of words and only chuckled, tapping her foot on the concrete, “Then maybe I should just leave you here and enjoy the show, let’s see how fine you’re actually doing.” 

A shudder passed through Scylla’s bones. 

_Fuck no_ — she didn’t want to be left there and risk her chances yet again, or her skin for the matter. 

And she didn’t know this stranger enough to call on her bluff, so she resigned to the pleas. 

“Okay, fine, I’ll give your high and mighty moment, but please get me out of here.” she shuffled the handcuffs for emphasis, wincing when the metal caught in her wounds. 

The blonde immediately dropped to her knees and worked with a pocket knife to free Scylla, an expression of concern now darkened her features. 

“I’ll give those a proper look as soon as we’re inside the safehouse.” she tapped on Scylla’s pale wrists gently with the tip of her fingers, the blood hadn’t stopped trickling out, but it was only a minor concern now. 

Scylla nodded and accepted the blonde’s help to stand up, her legs cramping from the uncomfortable position. 

“Let’s go! We’ve already lost too much time and Tally will be worried sick.” Abigail hastened.

_Tally? Who the fuck was this Tally now? —_ Had she just stumbled across another group of survivors?

Raelle turned to Scylla, one of her hands still lingering on her back, “Are you good walking? Running?”

“Yes.” Scylla nodded curtly.

And then everything went in a blur. They started running in the huge maze that were the city streets, with no apparent direction to Scylla, but somehow she trusted this blonde girl.

She had to. It was her only choice after all. But there was more to it, like an instinct overcoming the fear and usual wariness that she had of other people.

Scylla hoped to be right or she was going to be properly fucked. Not to mention alone. 

“We’re almost out of here.” the blonde spared her a gaze, offering her hand so Scylla wouldn’t remain behind. 

It was an easy and unconscious decision. Scylla grasped the hand and willed her legs to move faster, catching up with the two other girls. 

They swiftly turned a corner and a redhead waited for them — _must’ve been that Tally_ — at the end of the road, a few backpacks at her feet and suddenly everything clicked into place. 

The trio had been out to scavenge for food and possibly weapons, Scylla reasoned. It made sense really and she herself was used to those kinds of runs.

Nothing came easy in a world like that anymore. 

They stopped in front of the redhead, catching their breath and the taller brunette searched quickly through the findings. 

“What took you so long?”

“Sorry Tal, Collar here had to stop and be a hero.” Abigail motioned to her blonde friend, then she threw a few bottles of water in their direction. 

The blonde just huffed and passed a bottle to Scylla, “Can’t leave miss pretty here to die now, can I?”

Scylla raised an eyebrow, a silent tease in the blonde’s eyes when they met hers.

“And who is she?” Tally inquired. 

It wasn’t a suspicious tone, but Scylla could understand the doubts that might cloud her mind. The group was without a question well accustomed with each other and she was an intruder somehow. At least for now. 

“There’s no time for pleasantries now, alright? We need to leave.” Abigail cut the conversation short without admitting replies. 

She swung a backpack over her shoulders and offered one to the blonde and one to Scylla, “You better not put some shit up. Collar might be an idiot, but I have no problem leaving you chained somewhere else.”

“Abigail, let’s go.” the blonde intimated, but Abigail ignored her.

“Are we clear?”

Scylla smirked at the threatening attempt but she didn’t flinch nor step back, it took much more to really scare her after the shit she had seen and gone through. 

She only let out a mocking “Yes ma’am.” and stepped aside to reach the blonde.

If she had to walk all the way back to their safehouse, at least she could do with someone who actually seemed to like her by her side. 

*******

Scylla winced when the hydrogen peroxide dripped onto her skin, the stinging sensation drawing a hiss out of her. 

The blonde offered a sympathetic smile and tapped gently around her wound with bundles of cotton, trying her best not to hurt Scylla more.

“Those are some nasty cuts you got there.”

“Yeah well happens when some dickheads leave you chained to a pole to die. Wouldn’t recommend.” 

Despite the half-morbid joke, the blonde chuckled and Scylla smiled back reflexively. 

“What happened?” 

Scylla rolled her eyes, “Long story short, I was in a group, trying to survive like everyone else, but I didn’t like how they handled things and people, so I caused some trouble there. Next thing I know I’m better off dead to them. They were loads of fun.” 

“Surprised they didn’t do birthday parties.” the blonde deadpanned.

Scylla laughed, catching both of them by surprise and earning a sweet grin back from the other girl. 

“So, how bad is my condition, Dr. Collar?” Scylla relaxed her back against the chair, pleased at the quirk of eyebrows that she received from the blonde.

“Just Raelle, if you please ma’am. And you’re doing alright, mostly scratches, a few deeper cuts, but overall I’d say you’ll survive.”

Scylla threw her head back and moaned, “Oh thank god, I really am enjoying this fucked up ride at Disneyworld, can’t wait to go out for more.”

“I hate to break it to you beautiful, but there’s no way out of the park yet.” the blonde played along and Scylla sighed heavily. 

“I see the apocalypse couldn’t stop your one-liners, uh? Miss pretty, beautiful… if I didn’t know better I’d say you’re trying to charm me, Raelle Collar.” 

Raelle scoffed a laugh and tucked away the first aid box, “Wait until I start complimenting your eyes.” 

Scylla tilted her head to the side, intrigued by this kind stranger. Raelle had no guarantee that she would be a good person; she had no interest in saving her, yet there she was, taking care of someone out of the goodness of her heart. 

Maybe there was still hope for the world. 

Or maybe there was just one Raelle Collar and Scylla had been extremely lucky to stumble upon her. 

For the first time that day, she truly liked her chances. 

“I’m Scylla.” she finally answered the unspoken question.

And Raelle turned around with the biggest smile Scylla had ever seen.

“I’m glad I found you, Scylla.” 


	2. hell was what it was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wanna play?”
> 
> Scylla turned around to find Raelle holding two cues and a smug smile on her lips.
> 
> “A pool game in the middle of the apocalypse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would've thought? Not me!
> 
> Guess I found some more inspiration to write one chapter more of this one. I don't plan on making it a long fiction or for it to have a specific plot (not at the moment anyway), but maybe it might be a collection of moments intertwined and with the common theme of raylla surviving and kicking asses during the zombie apocalypse. Guess, we'll find out. 
> 
> You can read this as a standalone really, there's only a minor reference to the previous chapter, but more raylla for you if you read them both ;)
> 
> In the meantime, hope you enjoy this one :')
> 
> Cheers!

“Wanna play?”

Scylla turned around to find Raelle holding two cues and a smug smile on her lips. 

“A pool game in the middle of the apocalypse?” 

Raelle playfully raised her eyebrows and shrugged, “Scared you’ll lose?”

Scylla gave a tilt of her head and — _fuck no, she might’ve been munched on by a group of walkers but god forbid she would leave this blonde thinking she was a loser_

“I’ll even let you have the longer cue.” Raelle probed with a teasing wink.

_Okay, two could play that game._

“Keep it. It’s the only way you’re going to win this game anyway.” 

Raelle chuckled at the bold reply and threw Scylla the shorter cue.

_Game on_ — Scylla thought.

It was only after hitting the third ball that a groaning sound came from behind Scylla’s shoulders.

Raelle was still gloating for the conquered point that she almost didn't notice the threat. Scylla was quick to spring in action, pushing the walker away with the cue against his chest and drawing out a knife from her belt.

A clean stab under the chin and the rotting mess was tumbling to the ground. 

_Really-dead never sounded better._

Scylla cleaned the blade on the corpse’s ragged clothes and rolled her eyes when she saw Raelle bowing down.

“That was hot, miss pretty.”

“Do you ever stop talking like a horny teenager or is it reserved just for me?”

Raelle’s smug smile was more than an answer and Scylla smiled back, despite the situation. 

“You know-”

Raelle’s voice cut abruptly when a hand came from the shadows and grasped her from behind, pulling her back. 

Scylla widened her eyes and jumped in fright when she heard bodies thumping down and Raelle’s chilling scream — _SHIT! DO SOMETHING!_

She circled the pool table in record time and saw Raelle struggling with a walker double her size and strength. The blonde was fighting back to free herself from the tight hold, her body jerking away almost comically to avoid the bites.

_and laughing in the face of a nightmare would be really fucking rude._

Scylla found Raelle’s cue on the hardwood floor and with one swift motion she impaled the walker’s head. The sickening squelch of skin and the stench of putrid flesh still made her feel like puking. 

_Welcome to the apocalypse fuckers, we ran out of candies so nothing better than rotting bodies now. Please take your seat and don’t get eaten during the ride — go figure._

Raelle was still panting hard when Scylla offered her arms for support and got back to her feet. 

“Guess pool stuff can still be useful after all.”

“I would’ve so won that game.” Raelle grimaced at the soreness she felt after the rough landing.

Scylla shook her head in disbelief and wiggled the cue where blood and pieces of brain stem still dripped down, “Thank you Scylla, you’ve been very nice to save my ass. Oh no problem Raelle, wouldn’t want Abigail and Tally to chew me alive for letting you die.”

Raelle only quirked an eyebrow at the sarcastic tone, “You’d still be cuffed to that pole if it weren’t for me.” 

Scylla ground her teeth, “I was dealing with the situation-”

“-just fine. Yes, keep telling that lie to yourself, Scyl.” Raelle scoffed a laugh and fixed her leather jacket.

Scylla was about to bite back when her eyes caught something and her features went paler than usual. 

_Oh god. Oh god no. It couldn't be._

“Take that off.” 

Raelle’s head snapped up in confusion at the somber tone, “What?”

“TAKE THAT FUCKING JACKET OFF, RAELLE.”

“Scylla what-”

Scylla launched herself forward without waiting, her hands roughly tearing off the garment and making Raelle stumbling back again. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Raelle shivered when her exposed skin prickled at the sudden absence of warmth

“This is wrong with me, you fucking idiot!” Scylla slammed the jacked directly at Raelle’s chest, forcing the blonde to squint her gaze.

But there it was, clear as the day, and Raelle swallowed heavily, finally understanding Scylla’s panic.

Visible teeth marks were marring the smooth black leather. 

She had almost been bitten. Her life could’ve been over if only Scylla had reached for her a few seconds later.

The thought of becoming one of those _things_ made her crawl in her own skin.

Raelle tried to remember why she hadn’t felt anything and blessed Abigail’s suggestion — _“Because leather is harder to break”_ —

“Are you hurt? Are you bit?” Scylla frantically searched Raelle’s arms and shoulders and neck, “You can’t be bit, right? You can’t leave me, Raelle! Tell me he didn’t get you.”

“Scylla!” Raelle thundered, grasping her by the shoulders and shaking gently, “Look at me.”

She waited until a pair of ocean eyes were staring back at her and only then she dared to crack a smile, “I’m okay, I promise. I’m not leaving you. I’m fine.” 

Scylla nodded, more to convince herself than Raelle, and sighed deeply when Raelle’s soft thumb brushed away the few tears that managed to escape her eyes. 

“I’m here.” Raelle whispered gently in her ear, pulling Scylla to her chest for a hug.

Raelle closed her eyes when she finally felt another pair of arms circling her waist and holding her tightly.

There was something comical and dramatic at the same time. Standing in the middle of an old pool pub, with rotting bodies and beer bottles and dust littering the floor, and yet feeling safe in a semi-stranger embrace. 

Not that Raelle really considered Scylla a stranger anymore.

There was something familiar about her, like finding something you’ve been searching for all your life without being aware of it. A longing that finally stopped feeling empty inside Scylla’s chest as well.

“Hey.” Scylla muttered from her spot against Raelle’s shoulder.

“Uhm?”

“We should go… here doesn’t seem very safe.”

Raelle nodded against Scylla’s neck, “Yeah, okay, let’s go.”

She eyed the pool table regretfully while shaking the dust off and putting the leather jacket back on. 

“What?” Scylla asked, catching Raelle’s gaze. 

“Just thinking — we can’t leave the game without knowing who would’ve won.”

“Seriously Raelle?”

Raelle raised her hands in innocence, “I’m just saying, there must be another place with a pool table where we get to finish this face-off.”

“I swear, you have a death wish.”

Raelle grinned smugly, “On the contrary, I have my personal savior with me now.” 

Despite her best efforts, Scylla chuckled and bit her lower lip, “Fine, but we’ll have to raise the stakes.”

At that Raelle quirked an eyebrow curiously, “Yeah? Got any ideas?”

Scylla stepped closer, grabbing the hem of Raelle’s jacket to pull her against her body and smirked back, “I’m sure we can think of something interesting.”

Raelle’s tongue darted out to wet her lips and her head dipped slightly forward, “Oh I can think of a few things…”

Their lips almost brushed together when an unmistakable groan echoed inside the room.

Raelle dropped her head back with a whine and squeezed her eyes shut. 

“Fucking hell, the apocalypse is such a cockblock!”

Scylla couldn’t help the genuine laugh that bubbled in her throat.

_Fucking funny really to laugh her ass off when potential death stood before them less than ten feet away._

_I_ _t was what it was_ — Scylla sarcastically thought.

“You take care of it, tiger, I’ve already saved your ass today.” 

Raelle wiggled her eyebrows smugly and blew away a few locks of blonde hair before going the kill, "I'll be back in a second, beautiful, don't go anywhere." 

_Yeah, hell was what it was_ — Scylla reasoned — _but maybe she minded it less and less every day with Raelle by her side._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may think, walsh what were you thinking when you wrote this? Well, my friends - ... exactly, head empty, no thoughts, just them chilling (maybe?) during the apocalypse :')
> 
> They really can't get a moment of peace, can they? Maybe they'll get one next time tho, stay tuned to find out!
> 
> As usual though thank you so much for reading and for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed it!


	3. bullet in a gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Damn you, Ramshorn! What the fuck were you thinking?”
> 
> Scylla gulped down to wet her dry throat and cracked a sarcastic smile, “Oh you know me, just chilling.”
> 
> “I swear to god, I will-”
> 
> “-I got shot.”
> 
> “WHAT?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? Writing part 2 for this got me inspired and I managed to finish part 3 as well. 
> 
> This one is more Scylla centric and I apologize in advance for some Raelle missing action, but she's there. Search and you'll find her ;)
> 
> A few words about this chapter: 
> 
> \- there is some violence/fighting involved so if you're sensitive to that you can skip those parts  
> \- some strong language (cursing mostly)  
> \- mention of shooting and bullets but hey hey NO WORRIES, none of my girls is going to die here, we got enough of that on tv already, am I right?
> 
> Other than that I hope you enjoy and I'll catch you later!

Scylla panted heavily, teeth clenched painfully and head pulsing against her temples. 

Everything had happened so fast. 

One moment she was doing fine, and the other she was staring at the barrel of a rifle, the blood pumping inside her veins telling her to run as fast as she could. 

_Run, run, just RUN —_ but she couldn’t.

Running meant bullets and bullets meant death, so _no thank you._

Not that it had actually helped a whole lot. Because now she was huddled inside a pickup, without any idea of how long it would take for the walkers to clean the whole area, and a bullet lodged in her thigh. 

One of her hands forced the injured her leg down and the other tightened the belt wrapped around the wound in the hope of stopping the bleeding. 

There was so much blood. How could there be _so much_ blood?

Scylla dug her teeth painfully on the inside of her cheek to avoid crying in pain and alert the walkers of her presence, but what if they smelled the blood?

_Could they even smell the blood? Who knew what else they could do other than hear noises_

Scylla didn’t want to take any more chances. 

But god, was she going to die there? Inside a fucking car in a pool of her own blood and then wake up a walker trapped in a metal cage?

_God that was a pathetic way to go._

She sighed and cleaned the hand sticky and warm of her blood on her jeans, there was nothing much that she could do than wait.

Running or fighting her way out on adrenaline was out of the discussion; she had already limped out of the pharmacy and under the car in admirable willpower. 

Thinking that she could make her way back to the safehouse where Raelle, Abigail and Tally were was securing death.

_How the fuck did THAT even happened?_

*******

Scylla remembered that from the moment she stepped inside the pharmacy something had been different, the air thick and charged with danger.

There wasn’t anything different that she could _see_ , but she had learned more than once that trusting her guts could really be the best option to come out alive from tricky situations. 

The apocalypse left very few chances to be wrong, more often than not unforgiving and brutal upon the ones you wanted to save. 

She had decided to make that run under Raelle’s furious stare, but it was a decision that hadn't left much choice to the matter either. 

Raelle had come down with a high fever after being caught in the rain scouting for food supplies with Tally and she needed antibiotics. 

It had been only a few weeks since Scylla had joined the group, much to Abigail’s protests at first, and she had proved to be a useful asset for them. 

Her presence had allowed more hours of rest at night during guard duty turns, another pair of eyes to watch their backs, a partner to couple with during supply runs and quick thinking.

_Rotting brain walkers forced her to be smarter in every choice, thank you very much_

Tally and Raelle had warmed up to her quickly and considered her part of the group now, but Abigail was a different story. 

_Whatever_ — Scylla knew very well that she couldn’t be liked by everyone, and she had enough on her plate already without worrying about Abigail Bellweather as well. 

But she had to go, because Raelle was sick and because it was only a matter of time before both Abigail and Tally would offer to go in her place, unleashing a civil war inside the group. 

_God forbid anyone else amongst them got sick as well, they would’ve been seriously screwed then._

Scylla wasn’t stupid, she knew that her life was the more expendable one. Not that anyone had actually told her to the face and, quite frankly, Raelle would’ve probably debated her to death on that point. 

But _she knew_ that was the truth, point-blank. 

So she had to go. Even if just to prove to Abigail that she deserved to be there with them. Scylla needed her back covered as much as they needed it and she was not going to count on someone that would leave her as dead meat as soon as the possibility arose. 

_No thank you, one time was fun enough._

“Y-you don’t have to go for me.” Raelle had rasped out that morning, voice hoarse and weak by the fever, before Scylla could finish gathering a few essentials inside her backpack. 

_Weird how a nailed baseball bat was considered a must-have those days_ — she thought with a hint of sarcasm, before discarding the weapon in the small corner she had reserved for herself in favor of some knives.

“Yes I do.” Scylla replied, checking out the electric torch before packing it, “And if you’d stop arguing against it, thinking that I’m going to get killed as soon as I step outside of the door it would be great help, Raelle.”

Raelle attempted a chuckle, but her throat was painfully dry and she only coughed against her hand, collapsing again onto the makeshift bed and the pile of blankets. 

“You’re not gonna get killed, Scyl.” 

“No, I’m not, I’m glad we agree on this.” Scylla nodded, fastening the laces of her black booths. 

“I know why you’re doing this, but-”

“Raelle,” Scylla interrupted her, scooting closer and gently stroking away the few stray hairs that were plastered on Raelle’s damp forehead.

The blonde mumbled in relief when the cool palm pressed against her burning skin and closed her eyes.

Scylla bit her lower lip and tapped her booth to the floor impatiently, the sooner she went the sooner she would be back and could get Raelle some real medical relief. 

“No more discussion about this,” she finally continued, “you need to save strength and I will be back before you can realize, alright? Just sleep through it and it will be like I’ve never left.” 

It was like talking to a scared child, Scylla realized, but then again maybe it was a privilege to have people still capable of being unashamed of their fears and feelings, and Raelle had proved to be one of those more than once. 

With one last gentle caress to the blonde’s cheek, Scylla picked up the backpack and offered Tally and Abigail a curt nod before bracing to face the outside world. 

_Bite me if you dare_ — she thought — but that was perhaps a sad choice of words.

*******

The pharmacy had been pretty much cleaned up days — maybe even weeks — before Scylla arrived at it, but a few things still survived on the shelves and she prayed with all her might that whatever Raelle needed was there. 

The floor was full of shattered glass and the counters were dusty and dirty of many things — blood was the most striking one. The dark crimson color now a familiar sight, along with the stench of rotting bodies. 

A few walkers had been killed there, their bodies were still on the floor, a mess of limbs and ragged clothes. 

Scylla grimaced but made her way over them, trying to focus on the task at hand. Failing to notice that some of the blood splattered on the floor was still fresh and running. 

She quickly read the back of the boxes, struggling to understand if they could actually be of any use for Raelle — _better safe than sorry._

A noise of crinkling glass caught her attention while she was busy stuffing the antibiotics inside the backpack and her head snapped up. Someone was in front of the pharmacy entrance, with a firm stance and a wicked smile. 

Scylla could only stare at the end of a rifle in stunned silence, gulping down a sigh. 

_Goddamn it! Why did these things keep happening to her?_

“Didn’t momma teach you it’s a bad thing to take what’s not yours?” the man spoke with a heavy southern accent. 

Nothing of Raelle’s charming tone — _focus, you idiot, shit is about to get rough here!_

Scylla put on her bravest façade and shrugged, “Mama didn’t warn me about the apocalypse.”

The man let out a fake laugh and cocked the weapon, “I can’t let you take that stuff, this is my place now, so leave everything you got and maybe you’ll get to walk out of here on your own legs.”

Scylla quickly scanned her surroundings, trying not to seem suspicious and tilted her head to the side, closing the pack, “But I like what I got and I think I’d rather keep it.” 

Out of sheer instinct, she jumped over the counter, ducking behind it when the first shot rang. 

_Oh shit, if that idiot kept shooting they would soon find themselves surrounded by walkers._

Scylla cursed under her breath and retrieved her new favorite knife — the one that Raelle had given her just a week earlier — ready to jump in action.

She knew she was not safe hiding there, but it would have to do until she planned her escape. 

“Don’t make me do it again! I’d hate to kill such a pretty lady!”

Scylla rolled her eyes at the man’s shout — _if being a walker meant not to deal with that bullshit, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea._

She tiptoed around the counter and managed to sneak behind the taller man’s shoulders, jumping on his back and digging the knife on his side. 

The man screamed in pain and started to blindly shoot his rifle, while Scylla tried to gain the upper hand by kicking it away from him. 

She got as far as touching the weapon when a hard blow to her ribs knocked the wind out of her chest and made her tumble on the floor. 

_Goddamn it if this was the way she was going to die._

The man pointed the rifle at her, still grunting in pain, but Scylla quickly ducked away and kicked him hard on one knee, hearing the crack of bones and chilling scream. 

She grimaced at the sound but sighed in relief when the man dropped down and let the weapon fall beside him. 

Scylla panted hard, eyeing the door and praying that she could still make it if she headed for the exit straight away. 

With one last look at the man, Scylla retrieved the backpack and made a run for it, but quickly stopped. 

_Oh fucking hell! Why was her luck running so short that day?_

A bunch of walkers were walking toward the source of the noise and they were way too close to the front door for Scylla to be comfortable. 

Maybe she could use the backdoor.

_Did that fucking place even had a backdoor?_

She tried to think quickly, retracing her steps, mindless of what was going on behind her. 

The man gripped her ankle viciously making her lose balance and Scylla landed roughly on her left shoulder, wincing in pain. 

“GET OFF YOU FUCKER!” 

She kicked blindly at the man and hit his chest and chin, sending him tumbling back in the same moment the walkers started to swarm the place. 

_Shit — no time to plan anymore_ , Scylla would have to make a run for the backdoor, either she liked it or not.

With the backpack securely slung over her shoulders, Scylla got up to her feet quickly, swept off her knife back, and tried to tune out the man’s shouts when teeth started to sink on his skin. 

_Come on, you almost made it!_

_COME ON-_

Scylla registered the loud shot before the searing pain sent her crashing against the nearest wall. 

“FUCK!” the scream scratched at her throat and hot tears started to flood her eyes and wet her cheeks relentlessly. 

The pain in her leg was almost unbearable and the blood seeping out of the wound was already soaking her jeans. 

_NO! NO! NO!_

She refused to crash and burn in a fucking old pharmacy while trying to save one of the last people on Earth she cared about.

The thought of Raelle made her breathe deeply, trying to fight off the pain as best as she could. 

She could make it. She _had_ to make it. Raelle needed her. Raelle wouldn’t forgive herself if Scylla died while searching for medicine that could save her. 

_And fucking hell_ — despite the world going to pure shit, Scylla wanted to live.

So Scylla started to limp out, against her whole body that begged for her to just stop and collapse, she reached the back of the pharmacy, praying whatever god was still up there that no walkers were about to jump out. 

When she slammed the backdoor open, Scylla sighed in relief at the sight of the road only littered with cars.

_But god where the fuck was she going to go?_

Her leg was losing blood and she had to do something soon. Crashing noises came from inside the shop and Scylla knew the walkers wouldn’t be too far behind. 

_That fucker could get ripped to pieces for all she cared._

She closed the backdoor, hoping it would buy her some time and hold the walkers inside, 

_but what about the ones at the front? In the middle of the street and close by?_

She looked around. Maybe she could find something useful inside some cars, it was a long shot but she had to try. 

Before her body would betray her completely and crash down.

_No goddamn it! She refused to die on a dirty road in the middle of nowhere._

The sudden thought of a familiar laugh, blonde hair and blue eyes made her heart drop inside her chest. _Raelle needed her_. 

And then a flood of recent memories — Abigail offering to share a pack of dried peaches with her. Tally making sure to pick some extra clothes that would fit her. Raelle giving up her sleeping bag and laying down on her patched-up quilt for her.

( _“Only until we find something else, don’t worry.” “Raelle, would you stop being an idiot and share the space with me? I won’t have you become food for the walkers just because you got a sore back.”_ )

That pulled a genuine smile out of Scylla. Despite everything, she had somewhere _— someone —_ she wanted to go back too. 

_Preferably alive._

***

“Tally? Tally, do you see her anywhere? Jesus fucking Christ, I swear I’m going to kill her!”

“Shut up, Abi! Walkers might be nearby still, and focus on finding her instead of empty threats.”

Scylla blinked a few times before finally opening her eyes. Her vision was blurred and her lids were heavy, pleading her to just go back to sleep. 

Scylla realized she must’ve drifted in and out of consciousness because of the blood loss and adrenaline wearing off. 

“They’re not empty! She said she could handle it and she couldn’t, and now Raelle is alone at the safehouse because we have to rescue her.”

_Wait — Was that Abigail?_

Scylla sighed in relief and pounded her hand against the door of the car to signal her presence, but nothing happened. 

Outside, Tally stopped in the middle of the road to face her friend, a serious expression on her face.

“She went because she didn’t want any of us to leave Raelle. You know how things can go to shit from one moment to the other out here, so why don’t we just shut up and try to find her instead?”

Scylla smiled victoriously to herself - _winning Tally’s affection was sweet, but even sweeter if they could fucking find her now!_

She tried to shift her weight and her whole body protested against it; her leg was still hurting but now it was a dull throb, the worst part though was that she could not feel it. 

Scylla wimped and slammed her fist against the window of the car again and the voices finally shushed.

“Have you heard that, Abi?” Tally turned sharply to her friend. 

“Yes, but I don’t know where-”

“HERE!” Scylla rasped out. 

“Holy shit! Scylla!” despite the earlier protests, Abigail was the first to launch herself forward, searching amongst the cars until she spotted her, “Damn you, Ramshorn! What the fuck were you thinking?”

Scylla gulped down to wet her dry throat and cracked a sarcastic smile, “Oh you know me, just chilling.” 

“I swear to god, I will-”

“-I got shot.”

“WHAT?” Tally snatched the other car door open, trying to figure out the best way to get Scylla out.

Scylla nodded, “Long story, but I got meds in the backpack, take it and go to Raelle, okay? There’s no time-”

“We’re not leaving you here!” Abigail said firmly, “And no buts. If you want to die I’ll kill you myself for the damn scare you gave us, but you’re coming back with us.”

“Abigail you need to go, Raelle needs-”

“You and Collar talk too much for my taste. Now shut up and let us help you.” Abigail gave a nod to Tally, “Come on Tal, let’s do this.”

Scylla groaned when the pair dragged her outside the car, she hooked an arm around Abigail’s neck while Tally lifted her legs. She quickly scanned the belt wrapped on the wound and gently patted Scylla’s knee.

“Good thinking.”

Scylla nodded as best as she could, her leg twitching with renewed pain. 

_Oh so she could still move it, good to know._

“Well, at least we won’t have to sever it.” Tally must’ve thought the same thing because she managed a choked laugh out of Scylla. 

Abigail carefully leaned Scylla’s body against the front of the car and retrieved the backpack.

“I’ll get another car started and we get the hell out of here, alright?” she waited for the pair to acknowledge her and then she pointed a finger at Tally, “You make sure princess over here doesn’t die on us or Raelle will grind our bones.”

Scylla chuckled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly — maybe Abigail was right, _Raelle had been quite protective of her from the beginning_.

Tally took her canteen and offered Scylla sips of water, “Who did you piss off this time?”

Scylla, feeling relief flooding her veins, could only chuckle in response.

“Oh y’know, there’s always someone.”

Tally shook her head, “Raelle was going feral.”

Scylla sighed deeply, “How is she?”

The ignition noise made them both turn towards a victorious Abigail.

“You’ll get to see for yourself.” Tally finally replied, “Let’s go.”

***

Abigail drove in silence around the city, searching for the quickest way to get back to the safehouse. Scylla rested on the backseat with her head on Tally’s lap, the redhead gently slapping her face from time to time to keep her awake. 

“Can you uh— tell Raelle nothing of this?” Scylla made the effort of slurring the words out. 

Tally smiled sweetly but shook her head, “Hard call since she’s the trained medic amongst us; she’ll be the one to patch you up as soon as she can stand on her feet.”

Scylla snorted sarcastically, “I feel so safe already, getting a bullet removed from another sick person. What could go wrong?” 

Abigail snickered from the front seat.

“Collar was already on her feet when she sensed too much time had passed since you left, and almost kicked us out of the door to come and search for you.” 

Scylla smiled more to herself than the others, “Knight in southern charm.”

Abigail rolled her eyes, adjusting the front mirror to catch Scylla’s gaze, “Whatever you say, point is that she’ll take care of you… like you did with her.” 

Scylla nodded, recognizing Abigail’s gratefulness.

“Anyway, where did you get shot exactly?” Tally asked, the blood stained too much of Scylla’s jeans to tell.

Scylla muttered something under her breath that sounded much like — _that fucking prick_ — “Thigh.”

Abigail hollered a laugh, “Ah shit, wait until Raelle hears you gotta get out of your clothes.”

Scylla reflexively laughed back and Tally shook her head at her best friend’s silliness.

_A dysfunctional family was still a family, right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wild ride for poor Scylla, uh? But *family* (sheds some tears) comes to the rescue.
> 
> Both her and Raelle will be fine, I can assure you that. I quite enjoyed writing a bit more of Abigail and Tally with Scylla though, the possibility of their bond and friendship intrigues me a lot and I hope the actual show will give more scenes with them together. 
> 
> Also, to be honest, I have no medical knowledge so if I got anything wrong I guess that's totally on me lol 
> 
> I got a few ideas more in mind for this one and they include more raylla together so... hopefully I'll get around writing them and give us all some fluff.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read it and hope y'all have an amazing day. 
> 
> Cheers!


	4. one half of a story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We were crossing one of the borders with my parents, when this thing started… they told us the army could help as well, so we were trying to regroup and find a safe spot-”
> 
> Raelle didn’t utter a word, only clasped Scylla’s hand tighter to give her comfort, to let her know that she was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would've thought I'd be back again, am I right? 
> 
> To be completely honest with all of you, I'm quite enjoying writing more parts of this story and I love not having to follow a specific plot but arranging bits and pieces together. 
> 
> Well, well, we're at sharing tiiiime and surprisingly Scylla takes the plunge and is the first to go. Maybe we'll get some Raelle story soon too, who knows? ;) 
> 
> This is somewhat more serious because I figured that there was not much to joke around about, but don't worry, I'll try to have some sarcastic and sassy mouthed Scylla back for next time.
> 
> A few mentions for this chapter:
> 
> \- characters are not mine  
> \- there some mention of violence and blood but not much really   
> \- this is pure fiction and should be taken as such 
> 
> Hope y'all like this one!

The hand on her shoulder jolted Scylla awake from the deep slumber. New instinct kicking in, she immediately dug for her knife when the same hand tightened the grip. 

“Hey, Scyl.” came Raelle’s voice coated in the softness that was only reserved for Scylla. 

She turned around, meeting her new favorite pair of blue eyes and exhaled deeply. 

“You scared me.”

Raelle let her hand fall limp at her side, “Sorry, you were having a nightmare and I thought-”

“Thank you.” Scylla interrupted her gratefully. 

Raelle only nodded and scooted close to her until they were both side by side, backs resting against the wall. 

“Are you okay?” Raelle asked gently, retrieving a bottle of water from the nearby backpack. 

She didn’t allow herself the luxury to unpack the few things she had. Who knew when they might have needed to run away in a sudden rush.

_Smart gal_ — Scylla mused 

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Shouldn’t you?” Raelle shot back, pulling a smile out of Scylla.

If there was one thing Scylla had learned was that Raelle truly knew how to play her cards, seemingly harmless but always attentive and careful.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna tell me, there’s no need to deflect though.”

_Damn it. How could this woman understand her better than most of the people in her life?_ — Scylla couldn’t remember anyone else aside from her parents that had been able to read her like an open book. 

“It was just- I don’t know, I don’t think I want to remember it.” 

The tip of Raelle’s booth touched Scylla’s ankle. 

That was another quirk about her; Raelle had started to sleep with her shoes on, scared that she would get stuck trying to fasten them instead of running away, but Scylla refused to follow her example. 

Currently they were locked in a 2 vs 2 battle, Abigail siding with Raelle and Tally with Scylla. 

_Hey, it was the small things that counted during the apocalypse._

Scylla took a generous sip from the bottle and handed it back to Raelle to discard it aside. 

“That’s okay. I get them a lot too, y’know? I see my dad dying, and I’m always unable to reach him out there before it’s too late.” 

Scylla pursed her lips, “Is he…?”

Raelle brushed off a tear from her own cheek, “I don’t know. Lost contact before I could reach him. He might still be out there but… I doubt I’ll find out any time soon.” 

Scylla frowned for a moment, “Is that where you all going? Trying to find your families?”

Raelle shrugged and a humorless laugh left her lips, she closed her eyes and took a steady breath.

“Maybe at first, but now… what’s the point? We have no clue where they might be and if they’re still alive. Abi was the only one with a hunch, her mom is military and she said they could help us, but we can’t trace her too.”

“It’s a bunch of bullshit.” Scylla spat out and tensed on the spot, “The military. They’re not gonna help anyone.” 

Raelle seemed to sense the change in the demeanor and placed a hand on Scylla’s jerking knee, squeezing it gently and bringing the movement to a stop. 

“Yeah… everything is pretty much a bunch of bullshit these days.” 

They shared the silence and darkness for a few minutes, each wrapped up in their own mind, when Scylla’s palm stroked against Raelle’s hand back, their fingers ghosting each other and then easily slotting together. 

“We were crossing one of the borders with my parents, when this thing started… they told us the army could help as well, so we were trying to regroup and find a safe spot-”

Raelle didn’t utter a word, only clasped Scylla’s hand tighter to give her comfort, to let her know that she was there.

Scylla took a deep breath and continued, “turns out the army people who rescued us were actually doing experiments on survivors, to see if they could find a cure. Not to all of those they found, of course, it was somewhat a secret… the last thing they needed was another wave of panic and having to kill the survivors.”

Raelle felt the bile rise in her throat, sensing what was about to come. Scylla was breathing more erratically, forcing her heartbeat to slow down and Raelle wondered if she should’ve just stopped her. Did she want to know? Did she have the right to rip those memories out of Scylla?

“Scyl, you don’t-”

“It’s stupid, isn’t it?” Scylla blurted out, voice drenched in concealed rage and despair, “We could die from one moment to the other, there are literal people coming back from the dead ready to eat us, and I still can’t get past this. I still can’t-” a sob escaped her throat and forced her to silent tears. 

Without thinking twice about it, Raelle pulled her close and wrapped her arms around Scylla’s sob-wrecked body, uncaring of the hot tears wetting her neck and t-shirt. Her only preoccupation was to hold the girl in front of her and make sure that she was safe. 

It took Scylla a few good minutes to calm down, escaping Raelle’s embrace only to snatch the discarded bottle and a few tissues to wash her face clean with the remaining water.

“They didn’t die from the experiments.” Scylla continued once she regained her breath, but this time Raelle’s arm was draped around her shoulders and her head was resting on the hollow of Raelle’s neck.

“There was a secret basement, they kept people chained there even some children, kept them naked and starved them and I- I don’t know, I just knew I had to do something, so I told my parents. But us knowing didn’t sit well with the army, it was me who put them in danger… I should’ve just- I”

“Scylla.” Raelle framed her face with both hands so that Scylla’s eyes could be on her, even in the darkness their color could be mesmerizing, “Listen to me, it was not your fault, you never meant to put anyone in danger, you just wanted to save those people.” 

Scylla’s gaze dropped with a bitter laugh, “And look where that brought me.” 

Raelle’s thumbs drew circles on Scylla’s skin and she offered a small smile, “It brought you to me, to us… I might’ve not known your parents but I’m sure they would like to know you’re alive and safe, and their memory is not lost within you.” 

Scylla cracked a grin and they both resumed their previous position, with Raelle patiently waiting for the other woman to be ready. Her heart clenched for Scylla and the simple idea of what those people might have suffered made her shiver. 

But Scylla needed her and Raelle was going to be there for her, even if that took all night long. 

“My parents made a plan to escape, it was tricky but we had to try. The army caught onto that too though and they only had time to help me smuggle out before they were captured. They were killed on the spot because they refused to tell where I was and what they knew.”

“And how did you-?”

“It’s not a pretty story, just be glad you’re not eating right now.” there was a hint of bitter playfulness in Scylla’s tone but Raelle decided to take it as a win anyway. 

She quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, “Go on.”

“I killed a walker, a lone one, cut him up and covered myself in blood and guts. It was a dare, but I was willing to try anything and it worked. I moved amongst them as if I was one of them. In the middle of the pack I made it far away enough the army couldn’t find me… they probably thought I was dead anyway.”

Scylla finally met Raelle’s gaze again expecting to find disgust and pity, instead she read astonishment and relief.

Unsure of what to make of it, Scylla felt herself blush under the intense stare.

“You, Scylla Ramshorn, are one brave motherfucker, you know that?”

The genuine laugh that tumbled out of Scylla’s lips caught them both by surprise, dragging Raelle along in that strange moment of shared intimacy and hilarity. 

“Thank you for telling me.” Raelle added after the laughs subsided, “It means a lot to know you trust me with this.” 

Scylla blinked a few times, “You saved my life, Raelle, on more occasions than one.”

“You still don’t owe me your story, Scyl.”

“I know I don’t,” Scylla nodded, “but maybe I needed to for myself as well. It’s the first time I’m saying it out loud, and that’s also because you saved me.”

“I thought you were doing just fine in that pole.” Raelle teased.

Scylla rolled her eyes, “You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

Raelle shook her head, “For as long as we’ll be stuck together in this forsaken world.”

“What a charmer… won many girls with that catchphrase?”

“None I was interested in.” Raelle shrugged nonchalantly and Scylla smiled bashfully, “Do you want to try gettin’ some more sleep?”

“I don’t know if I can.” Scylla answered honestly, the thought of plunging back into nightmares made her crawl inside. 

“Come on, I’ll be right behind you, and I’ll tell you all about my childhood in the Cession. That ought to make you sleep.”

“All the boring details as well?”

Raelle put a hand on her heart as to swear, “Every single one.”

Scylla chuckled and accepted Raelle’s offer, laying on the makeshift bed and relaxing against Raelle’s body spooning her.

“May I?” came gently from behind her.

“Yes.” 

Raelle swung an arm around Scylla’s waist and Scylla tucked Raelle’s hand between her own, leaving a small kiss on the open palm. 

“So, once upon a time in Chippewa Cession, this little girl came out kicking and screaming…”

*******

“How long do we put up with their bullshit?” Abigail whisper-yelled to Tally, busy gathering some food to assemble a breakfast. 

“Shhh Abi, you’ll wake them up.”

“Oh but I hope they’re awake. This is simply ridiculous, how does Collar even manage to get laid during the apocalypse?”

“You jealous or something?” Tally rebutted with a cheeky smile, “Because we could always-”

“Don’t. Even. Finish. That. Sentence.” Abigail admonished. 

Tally’s laugh resonated inside the safehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've reached this point then I'm forever thankful you took the time to read it and I hope you liked it. 
> 
> I figured it was about time we had some backstory too and I wanted a moment of peace for Raylla to get closer and share some time together. What's more bonding than shared trauma after all? Just kidding. 
> 
> But yeah I know a few of the people who read this ff asked for more fluff between them and I'll work on that too, I'm just enjoying putting them in different situations that we would probably never see in the actual show, so living my best fantasies really.
> 
> Giving y'all a hug <3


	5. the truth we share

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I killed a man once.”
> 
> Scylla stopped playing with the zippo in her hands and looked at Raelle’s direction with a raised eyebrow.
> 
> “You killed a man.” Scylla repeated, her tone sounded questioning as if she was struggling to imagine Raelle doing such a thing.
> 
> Raelle nodded, “I didn’t mean to at first… it was still early days of this shithole, so I guess I’m justified.” she smiled nervously, her eyes finally meeting the hypnotic ocean that were Scylla’s irises.
> 
> A smile pulled at the corner of Scylla’s lips too, “I’m hardly someone who could judge you. Haven’t been clean and innocent myself lately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there fam!
> 
> In the remote chance I'm not talking to the void but to actual people, I welcome you all in a new chapter of this... THIS
> 
> I hope you will all like it and if you feel like letting me know then please don't hesitate so :') I swear I'm nice and I try to reply to everyone. 
> 
> As usual:
> 
> \- There is mention of death and blood  
> \- A few cursing words  
> \- Characters are not mine and this is just a story not meant to portray reality or offend anyone
> 
> Let me know if you catch the few references scattered around the chapter (like the previous ones) and I'll catch you downstairs!

Scylla took her worn-out wallet out of the back pocket, the leather was old and ruined and Raelle wondered for how long she had carried it with her. She didn't dare ask questions though, Scylla's focused and illegible expression made her throat dry and every word died on her tongue. 

It was morning but the day was fuliginous, the sun barely visible from the thick waves of clouds. Raelle burrowed more inside her dirty coat; it was going to be one of those days, one like many really. Since the world had ended, each day blended with the other barely recognizable and impossible to count. 

Scylla arranged the few things that were inside the wallet on the dusty concrete in silence, as if she was disposing of some playing cards. A few crunched up dollar bills, coins that barely amounted to a quarter and photographs.

"It was my father's." Scylla turned the empty wallet over between her idle hands. Her voice was rough, speaking up for the first time that morning. Raelle couldn’t blame her though; there wasn’t much to talk about except counting their supplies and weapons. 

Scylla was not looking at her but Raelle nodded anyway, she could sense the emotional value of the object but she didn’t know exactly what kind of comfort to offer. 

Scylla wasn't crying, she didn't seem in pain, only a look of quiet resignation on her face. 

When she sat down on the rough asphalt Raelle instinctively stepped back, her body betraying the impatience she felt in her bones. She looked at the road, left and right like a dutiful child before crossing, except there was nowhere to cross and no one in sight. 

The road was empty, but that didn’t mean it was safe. 

Raelle stared at Scylla again, biting her lower lip and wondering if she should’ve been inconsiderate and force her back to her feet to go away. 

She was scared, it was not safe to remain in a single spot for a long time, like Abigail continuously repeated. Raelle could almost hear the voice of her friend inside her mind. 

But Raelle also understood that Scylla needed a few moments alone. There were many glances from the brunette that she had learned to decipher by that point, and the one she could spot in Scylla’s face was a clear silent request for space.

"I'll go see if I find any supplies, ‘kay?"

Scylla nodded, her eyes still on the photographs in front of her.

"I'm just down the street, I’ll be quick."

Instead of the usual warning to be careful, Raelle only received another nod. She swallowed, part of her annoyed by Scylla's unusual silence, but another look at the photos confirmed to Raelle that the moment of solitude was important for the brunette.

She started walking in the opposite direction, kicking small pebbles in attempt to get rid of the frustration she felt. She shouldn’t have been annoyed by Scylla's silence; sure, Scylla had shared some important details about her family and why they had been on the run, but after looking at those pictures Raelle still felt locked out of something important. 

Part of her hated that she could get so taken aback by Scylla’s changes of mood. They should’ve not affected her too. 

The last thing she needed was getting too attached to someone during a goddamn apocalypse!

Raelle sighed bitterly, her traitorous mind telling her that it was already too late.

Prying was not her thing though, so she kept walking, sizing up the various decaying houses in hope that at least one of them would pick her fancy. 

The house she chose smelled like rotten food and smoke and Raelle pulled up the bandana to cover her mouth and nose. It was a relatively new habit she had developed after seeing Tally doing it. She liked the cotton damp against her face because it concealed the bad smell better, but as they were currently running low on water, Raelle didn’t want to risk it. 

She made sure to bang the baseball bat full of nails — _courtesy of Scylla_ — against the front door a few times in case something or _someone_ was hiding there. No one came out and Raelle, happily enough, started to scavenge the kitchen, cupboard after cupboard of disappointment. 

It was one of those days, she told herself, thinking she should’ve better made another hole in the belt before her jeans fell off. The floor was littered with debris and Raelle thought the shards of glass looked like stars when the pale rays of sun hit them. 

There were a few tins of canned food in a cartoon box on the floor that someone must’ve dropped in a hurry. Raelle examined them with something akin to excitement before sighing– syrup peaches and beans – _welcome to the apocalypse where your chosen diet is not an option!_

She thought about Scylla while shoving the food inside her half-empty backpack and felt her chest warming at the thought of bringing back something solid. 

Solid meant survival and survival meant well – _anything that was a step away from death._

Raelle walked up the stairs, more curiosity than a genuine concern to find something and swung by every open door. Everything was bare and shredded to pieces; the shattered windows let the cold wind invade the house. 

It must’ve been safe once, Raelle mused, but time was slipping from her and she genuinely couldn’t say how long ago that must’ve been. 

Two bodies were lying on the floor of the master bedroom — walkers of course — they were both chained to the lower part of the bed. Raelle wondered if they had done that themselves or if someone had done it for them, before putting the rotting _things_ out of their misery. Flies were buzzing around them and, even through her makeshift mask Raelle grimaced at the stench, the blood caking the clothes and the wooden boards was dark and dry. 

She went about them, trying to ignore the tears prickling at the corner of her eyes, and found a few pictures on the mantelpiece.

God now she really wanted to fucking cry. 

The pictures were also covered in grime and the faces looked blurry like a faraway dream. Better times, maybe a peaceful life.

Raelle busied herself by carrying the bodies on the bed, her insides churning with sudden guilt and despair. These people did not deserve that. 

_ None of them fucking did! _

She returned to the mantelpiece to turn the pictures, the glass facing upside down, and looked at the bodies one last time.

She hoped no one would have to find or leave her in the same way. 

She closed the door on the way out and slightly bowed her head in a sign of respect, before leaving the house. 

There was no point in searching the other rooms. 

*******

When she returned, Scylla was standing up and studying a pocket-sized map of the area. This time, though, she turned her head when Raelle approached and there was the trace of a smile on her lips.

“Found something?"

“Not as much as I would have hoped, but better than nothing.” Raelle shrugged and then paused, unsure if she should share anything else, “And you?”

Scylla had a questioning look in her eyes that made Raelle shift the weight on her legs.

“Whatever you were looking for, you found it?”

She noticed only in that moment that a lighter was peeking from one of Scylla’s pockets and that the pictures were nothing more than a pile of ashes on the road, brushing against Scylla’s boots.

“It doesn't matter. I couldn't do anything anyway.”

*******

“I killed a man once.”

Scylla stopped playing with the zippo in her hands and looked at Raelle’s direction with a raised eyebrow.

They had recently left the previous safehouse to move somewhere different in the country and search other places — possibly other survivors too.

Raelle knew that Scylla was not too keen on joining another group or expand their small circle, but Abigail and Tally had been on a one-track mind in the last few weeks and Raelle was starting to see the benefit of having a bigger group around them. 

Hell, even a community if they were lucky enough. 

They could pull their weight without having to watch behind their backs every few seconds and having to scavenge for food almost each day. 

“You killed a man.” Scylla repeated, her tone sounded questioning as if she was struggling to imagine Raelle doing such a thing. 

Raelle nodded, “I didn’t mean to at first… it was still early days of this shithole, so I guess I’m justified.” she smiled nervously, her eyes finally meeting the hypnotic ocean that were Scylla’s irises.

A smile pulled at the corner of Scylla’s lips, “I’m hardly someone who could judge you. Haven’t been clean and innocent myself lately.” 

The mocking words actually made Raelle smile too and Scylla scooted closer to her, shoulder to shoulder.

“What happened?”

“I found him behind the backdoor of a 24/7 corner shop, I was searching for food on my own and I heard him grunting in pain and calling for help, so I stepped in.” Raelle sighed and rubbed at her eyes as if she was trying to get rid of the memories. 

“He was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood — god there was so much blood, it couldn’t been all his. He seemed so relieved to see me, before realizing that I was pointing a rifle at him. I told him to stop yelling because the walkers would hear us but…”

Raelle tensed up and then breathed out loudly, “I told him to show me his hands, I had to make sure he was not hiding anything, he said he couldn’t — part of me wanted to believe him - I could see that he was holding his stomach, a pretty bad gash there… but I just couldn’t stop thinking he could’ve killed me if given the chance.”

Raelle sniffled and Scylla moved in front of her, with both their knees drawn towards their chest it was easy to slot into each other’s personal space. She cupped Raelle’s face tenderly and brushed away the tears. 

“Hey Rae, breathe, okay? It’s okay, I promise… it’s gonna be okay.”

“But is it, Scyl? Look at everything, everywhere! This cannot be okay this—”

Scylla pulled Raelle’s flush against her chest in a comforting hug, biting her lower lip but remaining silent when Raelle banged her fists against her back and grabbed at her skin through the t-shirt.

She waited until Raelle emerged again, she was not crying but her whole body radiated tension, her jaw twitching. 

“I killed him.” she continued and Scylla didn’t have the heart to stop her. 

Maybe Raelle needed this just as much and Scylla felt like owing it to her. 

“He saw I wasn’t gonna budge so he tried to move his hand and I saw something shiny glint, I thought it was a gun so I shot… in a matter of seconds he was not a man anymore.”

“What was it?” Scylla dared to ask in a soft voice.

Raelle sighed heavily, it seemed like all strength was abandoning her out of exhaustion. 

“A crucifix. He was holding a crucifix… can you believe it? I could’ve helped him and I just— it was so easy to pull that trigger, I felt so relieved that I was the one surviving for a moment that it made me sick to my stomach.” 

“Abigail and Tally?” Scyll asked trying to piece the puzzle together.

“Abigail still hates me for the scare I gave her. They found me there on the floor, crying my eyes out, waiting for the man to turn so I could put him out of his misery… I didn’t wanna leave him as a walker, I felt like I owed him at least that.” Raelle snorted a laugh, “Abigail thought I was dead too at first. I think Tally and her never hugged me that hard before, but then Abi slapped me too.”

That made Scylla chuckle. She could imagine it quite clearly, it sounded very much like Abigail.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Raelle, you didn’t deserve it.”

“None of us deserves this.” Raelle remarked through gritted teeth. 

Scylla nodded, “I know, but you can’t keep torturing yourself like this. What if he did have a gun?”

“He didn't.”

“But you didn’t know. You can’t simply trust people in a situation like this.”

Raelle stared at Scylla intensely in the eyes. They were still impossibly close, their noses brushing together. 

It was not often Raelle allowed herself that kind of vulnerability, but with Scylla seemed so easy. There was something about her that made Raelle wanting to pour her entire heart out. 

Scylla felt safe in a world where safe was merely a prayer anymore.

“I trusted you and you trusted me though.”

Scylla playfully rolled her eyes at her, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” then a sweet smile, “I knew you were not going to hurt me, Raelle.”

Raelle swallowed hard and the tip of her tongue darted to wet her lips. She could feel Scylla’s breath becoming her own.

Scylla wondered for a brief moment if she should’ve let it happen, only to realize that she had been wanting Raelle the whole time.

“No, I won’t.” Raelle whispered and it sounded like a promise to her. It felt scary and hopeful, in a world where there was plenty to be scared about and less and less hope to drive you forward. 

Perhaps Scylla had been just a spark at first, enough to keep Raelle going. But a spark can last only so long before it dims down and Raelle was not going to let it happen. 

Not now. Not again. 

She kissed Scylla and the fire set ablaze. Like the first breath when the head’s been underwater for too long, it was hungry and desperate and tender and sweet.

Raelle sneaked a hand behind Scylla’s neck to pull her even closer. She felt like melting into her, sharing flesh and bone and blood and everything that made Scylla _Scylla_. 

Raelle wanted it. _Needed it._

If that was going to be the only way of survival, then she would gladly accept it. 

Scylla moaned into the kiss and soothed the bites to Raelle’s lips with her tongue. When they separated for air, she closed her eyes and let herself relax against Raelle’s hands that were gently caressing her face. 

When she finally opened her eyes again, Raelle was staring at her with a dazed expression, like she didn’t believe it was really happening. Scylla couldn’t help but smile and blush under those icy irises.

“What are you thinking about?”

Raelle let out a small laugh, “That you’re beautiful and that we still have a few hours to ourselves before Tally and Abi come back.”

Scylla quirked an eyebrow at Raelle’s implied suggestion.

“Very romantic.”

“You should see when I find proper candles and rose petals.” Raelle played along.

Scylla shook her head but still took the offered hand and let Raelle guide her to the bed.

Yeah, there was hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah hello there, my dearestssss
> 
> this is your final pit stop, I thank you all for reading it (as usual) and I hope y'all had a good time with it. 
> 
> Not sure when/if I'll write another chapter of this story, I shall wait for inspiration to come knocking at my door, but it's been a wild and fun ride so far. I quite like this chapter as the ending, but y'know if another worthy idea comes to mind I might add more of them. 
> 
> I know this chapter and the one previous this were a bit more serious in tone maybe, but I wanted to give them some hints of backstory and a little more depth than just 'kick walkers and take no bullshit'.
> 
> I hope you're all having a good time and I send you love <3 please be safe and follow Raelle's example to wear a mask.
> 
> Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT? How can I leave you all like that... they were finally getting to know each other, damn!
> 
> I know, I know, but hey maybe at some point there might be a second chapter to this, who knows.
> 
> If you reached this little box here, thank you for reading it and thank you for tagging along with me on this nice ride. 
> 
> I hope you liked this sort of different version of Scylla and maybe don't get handcuffed while zombies are close by, just a suggestion tho :')
> 
> cheers!


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